1 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:11,200 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Savor production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: I'm Annie Reese and I'm Lauren vogel Bum and today 3 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:18,079 Speaker 1: we have an episode for you about zinfandel. Yes, yes, 4 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:20,480 Speaker 1: and it is a fun one. It's a dense one. 5 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:27,440 Speaker 1: Oh yeah. Lots of DNA genetic analysis involved. That's that's 6 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:33,160 Speaker 1: always fun. Yeah, historical twists and turns. Um uh. And 7 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:38,680 Speaker 1: as always with our alcohol episodes, drink responsibly. Yes, yes, yes, 8 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:41,919 Speaker 1: yes um. And we should say right off the bat 9 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: with this one. This is a sponsored episode, Yes, entirely 10 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:52,560 Speaker 1: sponsored by the wine brand Saldo, who were kind enough 11 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: to send us a few of their wears to sample. 12 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 1: And they're heck and delicious um. And you are going 13 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 1: to hear a lot of ads from them for throughout 14 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 1: this episode. Yes you are, some some quizzes trivia always fun. Yeah, yeah, 15 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 1: they were delicious um. And it was nice to be 16 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:17,200 Speaker 1: researching this and kind of have like, now now that 17 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 1: I know all of the history, I'm even more appreciative. 18 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:23,959 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, and I'm really I'm really excited to get 19 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:29,760 Speaker 1: into some different zinfandel like clonal varieties and see what 20 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 1: some of the differences are in the ways that winemakers 21 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 1: are using this grape. Um it is. It is just 22 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:40,479 Speaker 1: wonderfully nerdy. Um one gets this one goes deep. It does, 23 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 1: it does, and I have a whole spiel about it later. 24 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:47,040 Speaker 1: But oh my gosh, yeah yeah, and I and I 25 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: and I will say, like, like look like like low 26 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 1: key they are paying us to say this, but but 27 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:52,640 Speaker 1: really like like they seem like such a great brand 28 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 1: to have sponsored this episode because they seem like really 29 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 1: good nerds too, and so that's just just exciting to 30 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: be working with with cool people. Yeah, it's nice when 31 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 1: it it meshes in that way. Um, and I will say, 32 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: I love a goods infandel, but it's definitely one that 33 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 1: I've long misunderstood and I have only fairly recently gotten into. 34 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 1: So I think that I'm happy to be doing this 35 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 1: one because I just had so many misunderstandings about what 36 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: z infandel was. And we're going to talk about some 37 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:27,959 Speaker 1: reasons why that might be in the history section. But 38 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 1: it's just been really nice because I'm like, oh, I 39 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 1: didn't know I zimfandel could be this just so long 40 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 1: had the wrong are not even wrong, but like I 41 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 1: just didn't have a complete context of what Zimdell's were Yeah. Yeah, 42 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 1: I I had sort of the wrong impression of the 43 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:52,960 Speaker 1: grape for a long time, and learning about stuff is cool. 44 00:02:53,280 --> 00:03:00,359 Speaker 1: Off it is and people are fans. Yes, oh my goodness. Yes. Uh. Also, 45 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 1: nationals Infindel Day is the third Wednesday of every November, 46 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,919 Speaker 1: so that's coming up. We're kind of on on target 47 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: for that one, sure, yes, And you can see our 48 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: past one episodes. There have been many, including the one 49 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: we did on the French wine Blite, which we're not 50 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 1: going to talk too much about in this one, but 51 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 1: is always kind of hanging over these wine episodes, um, 52 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 1: and our New Orleans Drinks episode for a brief mention. 53 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 1: I'm going to talk about that more in the history 54 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: bit as well, but we did talk about why some 55 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:38,840 Speaker 1: of those misunderstandings of fandel where they came from. Perhaps 56 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 1: it's kind of interesting, right, um yeah, for more on that. 57 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: You can also see our Boxed Wine episode for a 58 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 1: short bit about white zinfandel, which I think definitely brings 59 00:03:51,720 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 1: us to our question. I agree, zinfandel. What is it? Well, 60 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 1: Zinfandel is the name of a wine grape and also 61 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 1: the name of a wine produced from those grapes. And 62 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 1: maybe a little bit of other grapes in there too, 63 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 1: but mostly zinfandel um. It's a deep red grape so 64 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 1: red its skin is almost black, and will generally be 65 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:21,919 Speaker 1: used to produce a deep red wine that's often spicy 66 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:26,679 Speaker 1: and and warming, um, but also fruity and and bright. 67 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 1: It's like a It's like sidling up to a warm 68 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:35,919 Speaker 1: fire on a crisp fall afternoon, which is one of 69 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 1: my very favorite things right right. It can be a 70 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 1: lot of things though, um okay uh. Wine grapes and 71 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 1: most other grapes for that matter, are all part of 72 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:53,359 Speaker 1: the species Vitis vinifera. Zinfandel is a variety of wine 73 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 1: grape that has evolved and been selected for over time. 74 00:04:57,279 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 1: The plant is a woody vine that will grow for 75 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:02,040 Speaker 1: like a hundred plus years if you take care of it, 76 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 1: getting gnarlier um all the while. I saw one article 77 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 1: call it like tim Burton near yeah yeah um. And 78 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:16,039 Speaker 1: they grow these a big five lobe leaves. Every spring, 79 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:20,600 Speaker 1: they'll flower with big clusters of super tiny, frankly unimpressive 80 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 1: blooms um that if pollinated, each of those flowers can 81 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:28,080 Speaker 1: develop into a single grape. The clusters are on the 82 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:32,080 Speaker 1: medium to large side of often winged um with little 83 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 1: extra clusters of grapes and pretty compact um. The grapes 84 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:38,320 Speaker 1: themselves are on the large side for wine grapes and 85 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:40,839 Speaker 1: have thin skin that starts out green and we'll ripe 86 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 1: into yes this deep blue black. The grapes ripen relatively 87 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:48,880 Speaker 1: early in the wine harvesting season and can be used 88 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 1: to make right just a bunch of different types of wine. Um. 89 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 1: You can harvest on the early side to produce what's 90 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:01,280 Speaker 1: called whites infindel, which is often blood colored, or you 91 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:03,679 Speaker 1: can harvest it later. I've seen a bunch of different 92 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 1: production methods. I'm not telling you what to do anyway. 93 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:09,640 Speaker 1: Um Uh. You can harvest when they're mature to produce 94 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 1: a more typicals in fandel red and bold, or you 95 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:14,480 Speaker 1: can wait until later in the season when the grapes 96 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:17,839 Speaker 1: are overripe or even raisiny, and use that to create 97 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:22,560 Speaker 1: a strong dessert wine similar to a ruby port. There 98 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 1: are lots of recognized clones. It was infandel Um. Clones 99 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:32,240 Speaker 1: in wine refer to like a recognized sub variety that 100 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: growers have identified as having certain traits and that they'll 101 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:39,920 Speaker 1: take cuttings of to graft. To other rootstocks in order 102 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 1: to produce a genetic clone of the original cutting. Nothing 103 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:46,800 Speaker 1: to do with like clone wars, none of that. It's 104 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:51,760 Speaker 1: just sorry. Oh no, now I've got a Star Wars 105 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 1: wine based Oh my gosh, parity that I'm planning. Okay, alright, perfect, 106 00:06:57,839 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 1: perfect episode only was my intention, you know, how to 107 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:13,600 Speaker 1: get me pretty easily? Um, Cloning Uh, grape grape vines 108 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 1: is like easier and more reliable than growing wine grapes 109 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 1: from seed. It takes seeds a few years to grow 110 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 1: vines of sufficient um size and hardiness to to get 111 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 1: a really good crop of grapes. Um and clones are 112 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:30,119 Speaker 1: generally identified by number um, either by like the number 113 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 1: in which they were um they were researched and published about, 114 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 1: or just like any number that somebody wanted to apply 115 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 1: to them. Going back to Star Wars, I think that 116 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:42,360 Speaker 1: oh maybe it was like a petite Sarah that's like 117 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:45,040 Speaker 1: a seven seventy seven, and that that's a reference to 118 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 1: attack the clones anyway, Nerd nerds stuff, nerd stuff. Um, 119 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 1: I don't have a note on that. I'm saying it 120 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:58,120 Speaker 1: from memory and probably misquoting, but but at any rate, um, yes, 121 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:03,280 Speaker 1: uh of course or the characteristics of any finished wine 122 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:07,440 Speaker 1: depend on a lot of different factors. Um the exact 123 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:11,600 Speaker 1: uh microclimate that it was grown in and the growing 124 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:15,440 Speaker 1: season that it endured, UM, and the way that the 125 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 1: plant was pruned, and the way that it was harvested, 126 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 1: and when it was harvested, and how it was treated 127 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 1: after harvest, and how it was treated during the bottling 128 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 1: and fermentation process. All of this different stuff. But that 129 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 1: being said, um, there are a few like tendencies of 130 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:37,120 Speaker 1: the zinfandel grape. Uh. First, due to the shape of 131 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:41,400 Speaker 1: those clusters, the grapes tend to ripen unevenly in in 132 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:45,319 Speaker 1: any given cluster um, meaning that when you take the 133 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 1: bunch from the vine, there's going to be some that 134 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 1: are underripe, some that are perfect, and some that are overripe. 135 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 1: And that means that um, any given zinfandel usually has 136 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:04,440 Speaker 1: like uh uh a broader breadth of of distinct flavors 137 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:07,199 Speaker 1: in there. Like a lot of young wines taste young, 138 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:08,959 Speaker 1: a lot of older wines taste old, but this one 139 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:13,400 Speaker 1: has a little bit of everything. Yeah. Um. They tend 140 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:15,839 Speaker 1: to be a bit high in alcohol um, and the 141 00:09:15,960 --> 00:09:18,840 Speaker 1: burn from that can be pretty forward or it can 142 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 1: be produced to taste more fruit forward one or the other. UM. 143 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:27,160 Speaker 1: And the general flavors include um like red berries and 144 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:32,079 Speaker 1: or cherries, jam, a little bit of smoke, and spices 145 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:38,440 Speaker 1: like black pepper. Yeah, in the United States, all wine 146 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 1: that is labeled infidel maybe up to twenty content from 147 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:48,600 Speaker 1: other grapes um. And speaking of things that you might 148 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:52,000 Speaker 1: see on wine labels, if you've heard of old vine zinfandel, 149 00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:55,959 Speaker 1: that is mostly a marketing term because it's not like 150 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:59,320 Speaker 1: a regulated status here in the US. But generally old 151 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:03,120 Speaker 1: vine fers to a wine made from grapes grown on 152 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:06,160 Speaker 1: vines that are old enough to have like peeked and 153 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:10,760 Speaker 1: then plateaued in terms of fruit production, which happens maybe 154 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 1: about like fifty years into the vines lifespan. And the 155 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:19,800 Speaker 1: fruit from old vines is sometimes prized because, um, those 156 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 1: vines like aren't spreading their resources across so many grapes 157 00:10:24,679 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 1: anymore as they were when they're they're grape production peaked. UM, 158 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:34,040 Speaker 1: so the flavor in the grapes can be more concentrated. Yes, 159 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:36,040 Speaker 1: it's funny you say that. I'm glad you say that, 160 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:38,719 Speaker 1: because again, I was kind of a novice in the 161 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:41,560 Speaker 1: zi infandel world and I saw this old vines infandel 162 00:10:41,559 --> 00:10:44,319 Speaker 1: and I was like, why is Why have I never 163 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:48,440 Speaker 1: heard of this before? Who on earth does that mean? 164 00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:55,559 Speaker 1: Are these other vines infants? What's happening? Learning something new 165 00:10:55,640 --> 00:11:01,280 Speaker 1: every day? Um? Well, what about the nutrition? Drink responsibly? 166 00:11:01,679 --> 00:11:05,839 Speaker 1: M Well, we do have some numbers for you, and 167 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:10,599 Speaker 1: I want to start with this because there's a zymposium. 168 00:11:10,679 --> 00:11:16,200 Speaker 1: I guess I love. I love all of the puns 169 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:19,840 Speaker 1: around sinfandel. There's so many of them. Um uh yeah, 170 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:23,280 Speaker 1: but right from from what I can tell, the zymposium 171 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:28,960 Speaker 1: is part of the annual Passa Robles Zinfandel weekend every March. 172 00:11:30,640 --> 00:11:36,720 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, listeners again please and let us know. Yes, 173 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:41,120 Speaker 1: as of there were fifty tho acres planted with sim 174 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:46,720 Speaker 1: fandel grapes in California and these range across some forty 175 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:50,719 Speaker 1: counties there, which lie in all five of California's like 176 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:56,080 Speaker 1: climatic wine growing regions, which is so cool. Yeah. Um, 177 00:11:56,480 --> 00:12:00,040 Speaker 1: as of adela was the fourth leading wine grape and 178 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:05,600 Speaker 1: it came to acreage in California and of the world, 179 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:11,560 Speaker 1: zinfandel is grown in California. UM. Every year, around three 180 00:12:11,679 --> 00:12:15,839 Speaker 1: hundred thousand tons of zinfandel grapes are crushed there and 181 00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:20,440 Speaker 1: that's like on a bad year. Since three hundred thousand 182 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:24,760 Speaker 1: tons has been on the low end of crushage, UM, 183 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:31,480 Speaker 1: tons crushed more than doubled in the decade from this 184 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:38,079 Speaker 1: crushage of Lauren Vogel bomb original? Is that a real turm? Um? 185 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:41,480 Speaker 1: I it might be, it might be a mean thing, 186 00:12:41,679 --> 00:12:43,360 Speaker 1: or I might have read it somewhere. You never really 187 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:47,679 Speaker 1: know with vocabulary. It's true. Well, I like it nonetheless, 188 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:55,880 Speaker 1: and I do. This association with zinfandel and California is 189 00:12:56,080 --> 00:13:01,160 Speaker 1: incredibly strong and people are very passionate about it, um, 190 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:04,640 Speaker 1: and that means that we have a lot in the 191 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:08,559 Speaker 1: history section for you. We do, UM. But first we've 192 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:10,559 Speaker 1: got a quick break for a word from our sponsor 193 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:24,200 Speaker 1: and we're back. Thank you sponsored, Yes, thank you. Okay, 194 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:27,199 Speaker 1: So I think we've said it several times, but grapes 195 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:32,360 Speaker 1: separate episode. Oh yeah, we do not have time to 196 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:36,719 Speaker 1: do the history of grapes today, not today, and I 197 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:38,880 Speaker 1: think we're going to have to split that one up 198 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:46,920 Speaker 1: in multiple episode. Yes. Also, just a shout out to you, 199 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:53,200 Speaker 1: see Davis out of California. Thank you, UM. You overwhelmed 200 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:57,600 Speaker 1: me with your information. But I appreciate it, I respect 201 00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:02,640 Speaker 1: it and thank you. Yeah. Yeah, they have published a 202 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 1: bunch of really really really thorough information about the history 203 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:12,199 Speaker 1: of was Infidel, and right, it's wonderful, but also like 204 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:16,199 Speaker 1: academic and if you're a layman like we are, I 205 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:21,160 Speaker 1: was like, well, no, yeah, okay, there was like every 206 00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:24,480 Speaker 1: other paragraph. I was like, well, I don't know that 207 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:26,240 Speaker 1: I have time to go into the history of whatever 208 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:28,320 Speaker 1: this term is that they're just using as if I 209 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:32,360 Speaker 1: should know what it is, right, which is no slight 210 00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:35,520 Speaker 1: to them because it was for people who are in 211 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 1: that in the industry have been forever. So like, honestly, 212 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:44,760 Speaker 1: just thank you. But I was like reading it getting 213 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:50,560 Speaker 1: increasingly like that like sweat, the kind of sweat emojig bigger. 214 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:55,040 Speaker 1: But I did love it because you could feel the 215 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:57,560 Speaker 1: passion in it. You could feel that people just care 216 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:02,240 Speaker 1: about this so much. But all right, let's dive into 217 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 1: all of this information we have about the Zimpidel. Alright, 218 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:11,040 Speaker 1: So the ancestors of the Zifidel grape trace back to 219 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:14,840 Speaker 1: six AUS and BC, but our modern understanding of the 220 00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:18,280 Speaker 1: scrape are are more modern. History of them is fairly 221 00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:22,520 Speaker 1: recent by the nineteenth century, grape growers were producing a 222 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:27,880 Speaker 1: grape called the zimpandel or a word close to that 223 00:15:28,520 --> 00:15:35,680 Speaker 1: in a couple different places. But yes, continue, Yes, because 224 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:39,880 Speaker 1: of the wines current close association with California, a lot 225 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:42,440 Speaker 1: of research, yes, has been done into how the grape 226 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:45,640 Speaker 1: made its way into that state. But we still aren't 227 00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:48,680 Speaker 1: entirely sure of the details. And I say we, I 228 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 1: didn't really have much to do with the research, but 229 00:15:51,240 --> 00:15:56,400 Speaker 1: our general understanding of we but here is what we 230 00:15:56,680 --> 00:16:00,560 Speaker 1: do know or suspect the Zimpadel grape was probably being 231 00:16:00,640 --> 00:16:04,120 Speaker 1: grown for wine in California by the eighteen fifties. Um, 232 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:06,840 Speaker 1: there is no record of a grape by that name 233 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 1: being grown in Europe at the time. In the history 234 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:12,280 Speaker 1: of the name itself, yeah, it's caused a lot of 235 00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:17,320 Speaker 1: confusion and consternation. It has historically been spelled all kinds 236 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:21,440 Speaker 1: of ways. It's been called all kinds of things, which 237 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:24,520 Speaker 1: we're going to talk about more in a second. Um. 238 00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:28,600 Speaker 1: And obviously, yeah, that that causes some confusion when you're 239 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:32,360 Speaker 1: trying to look into the history of something. Researchers think 240 00:16:32,560 --> 00:16:35,640 Speaker 1: the most logical explanation for how the grape got to 241 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:40,200 Speaker 1: California has to do with an amateur horticulturalist uh named 242 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:44,520 Speaker 1: George Gibbs, who might have gotten the grapes and ravines 243 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:48,960 Speaker 1: from Vienna's Imperial nursery and taken them with him or 244 00:16:49,160 --> 00:16:52,800 Speaker 1: got them shipped maybe to him to the US in 245 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:57,800 Speaker 1: the eighteen twenties, and records do show that by the 246 00:16:57,960 --> 00:17:01,600 Speaker 1: eighteen twenties and thirties, Infidel's being grown as a table 247 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:04,280 Speaker 1: grape in hot houses on the East coast of the 248 00:17:04,359 --> 00:17:09,159 Speaker 1: United States. In William Robert Prince's eighteen thirty work A 249 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:12,640 Speaker 1: Treatise on the Vine, he includes what he called black 250 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:16,359 Speaker 1: Zimfandel of Hungary and Hungry. Here was probably referring to 251 00:17:16,480 --> 00:17:19,440 Speaker 1: what is now modern day Croatia in his list of 252 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:24,160 Speaker 1: grapes recently introduced to the US from other countries. Uh yeah. 253 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:28,200 Speaker 1: Important to note here that that the Austrian Empire encompassed 254 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:35,280 Speaker 1: what's now also Hungary and Croatia. Sure, yes, and this 255 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:39,920 Speaker 1: theory gained some tractions somewhat recently after a genetic discovery. 256 00:17:40,119 --> 00:17:46,280 Speaker 1: We promised genetic discoveries. Yes, uh so. Some of the 257 00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:49,960 Speaker 1: confusion around Infidel also stems from the fact that two 258 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:53,800 Speaker 1: other clonal varieties have evolved into other countries over time 259 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:58,200 Speaker 1: alien Croatia that we know of UM. A DNA analysis 260 00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:02,080 Speaker 1: published in two thousand three revealed that the California zimfandel, 261 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:06,879 Speaker 1: the Italian primativo, and the creation Tribute drug and I 262 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:09,480 Speaker 1: hope I didn't butcher that UM all have the same 263 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:13,760 Speaker 1: DNA profile, and notably, both the Italian and Croatian name 264 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:19,480 Speaker 1: for this grape likely refers to like early ripening UM. 265 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:24,200 Speaker 1: But that's the etymology of this is so complicated, so 266 00:18:24,280 --> 00:18:28,200 Speaker 1: we can't go too deep into it. Yeah. Yes, what 267 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:31,119 Speaker 1: is now Croatia was a part of the Australia Empire 268 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:35,040 Speaker 1: at the time, so when Gibbs would have been collecting 269 00:18:35,119 --> 00:18:40,040 Speaker 1: this grape to transport it to America, he very likely 270 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:42,560 Speaker 1: would have gotten it from what is now Croatia. Yeah, 271 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:45,320 Speaker 1: and some of the kicks started this whole interest in 272 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:48,960 Speaker 1: doing the genetic analysis in the first place was the 273 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:52,840 Speaker 1: discovery of ancient zim fidel vines in Croatia, which were 274 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:59,600 Speaker 1: also going to talk about more. Yes, yes, but zimfidel 275 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:03,000 Speaker 1: probably arrived with those traveling to California in the eighteen 276 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:07,119 Speaker 1: fifties for the California gold Rush. Shipping records show that 277 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:09,960 Speaker 1: a lot of zim fandel was sent to the state 278 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:12,520 Speaker 1: in the fifties eighteen fifties. But again this is sort 279 00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:16,800 Speaker 1: of complicated because so many different names were used. Um. 280 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:20,200 Speaker 1: And for a while, it was pretty much accepted that 281 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:25,840 Speaker 1: Colonel Augustine Harasti introduced zim fidel to California after returning 282 00:19:25,920 --> 00:19:28,720 Speaker 1: from Europe in eighteen sixty one, and this was a 283 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:33,200 Speaker 1: trip he went on specifically to investigate European wine cultivars, 284 00:19:33,760 --> 00:19:38,360 Speaker 1: but upon doing some digging, researchers didn't find zim fandel 285 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:40,480 Speaker 1: listed as one of the varieties he returned with. And 286 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:44,639 Speaker 1: on top of that, another viticulturist from the time wrote 287 00:19:44,840 --> 00:19:50,200 Speaker 1: that the grape was present in California much earlier than that. Yeah, yeah, 288 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:53,200 Speaker 1: it's very fun to see all these researchers like, no, no, 289 00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:59,840 Speaker 1: I've looked into this. It's really great, honestly. Um. Whatever 290 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:03,879 Speaker 1: the case, by the eighteen sixties, Sonoma and Napa in 291 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:07,920 Speaker 1: California had significant vineyards of zinfandel, and the grape was 292 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:11,639 Speaker 1: making a name for itself in wine, especially in that state. 293 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 1: The success of the grape opened the door for other 294 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:18,639 Speaker 1: non French wine grapes in that region too, because at 295 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:21,240 Speaker 1: the time everybody was trying to like copy what French 296 00:20:21,320 --> 00:20:24,760 Speaker 1: wine was doing. But because this one was successful and 297 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:28,399 Speaker 1: it wasn't really like French wine, I was like, oh, well, 298 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:32,120 Speaker 1: we could try other things too, maybe other things could 299 00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:36,719 Speaker 1: work as well. As early as eighteen seventy nine, professionals 300 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:40,040 Speaker 1: of all types were writing about the grape um and 301 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:42,800 Speaker 1: how it was suited for California, which was a big 302 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:47,840 Speaker 1: deal for the burgeoning wine industry. There um a lot 303 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:51,200 Speaker 1: of people were looking into how they could compete on 304 00:20:51,320 --> 00:20:54,800 Speaker 1: the world stage. In terms of California competing on this 305 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:58,560 Speaker 1: wine world stage and specifically going toe to toe with France. 306 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:03,520 Speaker 1: Um organized nations to evaluate wine in California were created, 307 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:08,200 Speaker 1: experiments where done papers were written. A paper written after 308 00:21:08,359 --> 00:21:12,119 Speaker 1: one of these experiments suggested that wines made of a 309 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:15,000 Speaker 1: single variety of z infandel grape were inferior, and that 310 00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:18,000 Speaker 1: blends were recommended and all these things, Like I'm convincing 311 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 1: so much, because again there is so so much UM, 312 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:24,359 Speaker 1: but that's like a whole paper you can read about 313 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:29,879 Speaker 1: just this one experiment. It's fascinating, it really, honestly is. 314 00:21:30,040 --> 00:21:36,760 Speaker 1: So if you have any interest, recommend Um by fours 315 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:40,399 Speaker 1: Infandel accounted for an estimated half of wine grape plantings 316 00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:44,159 Speaker 1: in California, and it was so well known there that 317 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:47,479 Speaker 1: someone studying the grape at the time wrote, the variety 318 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:50,280 Speaker 1: is too well known in California to require any remarks 319 00:21:50,359 --> 00:21:54,639 Speaker 1: on its general character. If we did an episode that 320 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:59,240 Speaker 1: that's just what we said. It's too well known. I 321 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:05,480 Speaker 1: don't have to say anything else. By seven, these grapes 322 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:08,440 Speaker 1: were going for about fourteen to sixteen dollars per ton, 323 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:11,400 Speaker 1: and that's about half of what well known and respected 324 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:14,359 Speaker 1: French grapes were going forward. So it was like on 325 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:19,160 Speaker 1: the rise. I guess. Charles Wetmore, sometimes called the father 326 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:23,800 Speaker 1: of the California wine industry, once wrote, although Hungarian zifidel 327 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:26,520 Speaker 1: is more known now in America than in Europe, and 328 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:28,800 Speaker 1: it is the beginning of a new type of which 329 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:32,439 Speaker 1: we may be proud. He also wrote in eighty four 330 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:37,400 Speaker 1: that it should be classified as a white wine grape, foreshadowing, Yes, 331 00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:46,640 Speaker 1: um it's popularity and it's known hardiness in California ensured 332 00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:50,040 Speaker 1: that it was one of the first grapes regrafted onto 333 00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:56,080 Speaker 1: new rootstock when the French wine blight did hit that state. Yes, 334 00:22:56,200 --> 00:22:59,880 Speaker 1: and I guess, speaking of Um, I don't know. Maybe, 335 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:04,719 Speaker 1: but anyway, Prohibition was obviously not good for zim fandel 336 00:23:04,840 --> 00:23:07,440 Speaker 1: in the United States and almost led to it completely 337 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:11,720 Speaker 1: going extinct. Um. It didn't really start to recover in 338 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:17,480 Speaker 1: the US until the nineteen seventies. Yeah. Uh, wine in 339 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:20,159 Speaker 1: general took a took a huge hit during Prohibition. Um. 340 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:24,760 Speaker 1: Perhaps obviously zim fandel seems to have survived specifically because 341 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:29,000 Speaker 1: it is so well suited to California climate that homebrewers 342 00:23:29,359 --> 00:23:33,000 Speaker 1: could make decent jug wine from it, like without access 343 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:39,440 Speaker 1: to the usual winemaking equipment. Mm hmmmm um. And kind 344 00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:42,000 Speaker 1: of stepping back a bit, there's a lot of threads 345 00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:46,720 Speaker 1: in this story. But the University of California Viticultural Department 346 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 1: chair named the zim fandel the most planted and most 347 00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:55,200 Speaker 1: well known grape in California in and he recommended that 348 00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:58,879 Speaker 1: vineyards in northern California planted as well. And again, it 349 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:02,920 Speaker 1: was the subject of just so many academic papers and 350 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:07,480 Speaker 1: recommendations about how to get the most money given the 351 00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 1: acreage required to grow the grape. Just so many things 352 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:13,080 Speaker 1: like here's the best way to go about it? Um. 353 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:17,680 Speaker 1: And clonal research really took off in the nineteen seventies. 354 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:25,639 Speaker 1: But okay, let's look at Italy's premativo great for a second. Okay, 355 00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:30,399 Speaker 1: So around the eighteen sixties or somewhere in there, somewhere 356 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 1: around the same time, the zimpadel grape was really taking 357 00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:36,800 Speaker 1: hold of California's wine industry. UM. Italy was using a 358 00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:40,920 Speaker 1: grape called premativo grown in a similar climate as California 359 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:45,160 Speaker 1: at first, largely to fortify red wine. So it's sort 360 00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:49,520 Speaker 1: of a supplementary grape almost UM. Just as people have 361 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:51,520 Speaker 1: tried to get to the bottom of how the scrape 362 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:54,560 Speaker 1: ended up in California, the same is true for Italy. 363 00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:59,119 Speaker 1: Some speculate that it arrived from Croatia via the Adriatic 364 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:01,760 Speaker 1: Sea and the eighteenth century, though I did see one 365 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:05,440 Speaker 1: day that was far earlier than that. UM. One of 366 00:25:05,560 --> 00:25:08,280 Speaker 1: the reasons this is a popular theory is that legend 367 00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:11,479 Speaker 1: has it the grape was originally named after the creation 368 00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:14,840 Speaker 1: port it arrived from in Italy. Again, the etymology of 369 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:19,160 Speaker 1: this one is very complicated, but that is one theory. Yeah. 370 00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:23,760 Speaker 1: The first known instance of this grape in the written 371 00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:28,639 Speaker 1: record is from sevent in Italy. Uh, there's kind of 372 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:32,680 Speaker 1: a humorous story or I found it humorous of a U. S. 373 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:37,560 Speaker 1: D A plant pathologist Dr Austin go Keene visiting Italy 374 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:41,320 Speaker 1: in the nineteen sixties tasting some wine made with the 375 00:25:41,359 --> 00:25:45,439 Speaker 1: prematival grape and thinking to himself, huh, tastes like simpandel. 376 00:25:46,600 --> 00:25:49,439 Speaker 1: He took some samples of the grape back to the US, 377 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:55,480 Speaker 1: planted them next to simpandel, and a nine genetic analysis, yes, 378 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:59,920 Speaker 1: more DNA stuff confirmed what he suspected that they share 379 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:04,560 Speaker 1: a DNA profile. Um of note, there are varietal differences, 380 00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:10,359 Speaker 1: but very very very similar. Yeah, yeah, clonal differences. That 381 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:13,880 Speaker 1: is right there, they're the same variety. They just write 382 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:18,120 Speaker 1: they are genetically the same thing. Um. But but yeah, 383 00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:23,679 Speaker 1: clonal varieties can have a little bit of of variance 384 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:27,080 Speaker 1: in there. Sure, and how present which again, if you 385 00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:29,600 Speaker 1: want to know more about you see, Davis has got 386 00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:33,360 Speaker 1: your back. They had a whole breakdown of it. They 387 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:36,480 Speaker 1: really do. Um. And there has been a lot of 388 00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:41,439 Speaker 1: back and forth about labeling around zinfandel and primativo over 389 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:46,520 Speaker 1: the years. In the beer of alcohol, tobacco, and firearms 390 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:53,440 Speaker 1: declared that the names could not be used interchangeably on labels. However, 391 00:26:54,280 --> 00:27:00,119 Speaker 1: when presented with DNA evidence, which I love for us 392 00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:02,600 Speaker 1: in the nineties, and then in the early two thousands 393 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:08,400 Speaker 1: they revised their decision in they followed the e Use 394 00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:13,680 Speaker 1: example and ruled that the names could be used synonymously. UM. 395 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:16,520 Speaker 1: And then they had you know, their call for comments. 396 00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:20,800 Speaker 1: What are your thoughts about this decision? You know? Oh, 397 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:26,000 Speaker 1: and people had comments. They have comments, um, mostly Californians 398 00:27:26,240 --> 00:27:29,159 Speaker 1: and others in the Americans infandel business, and one way 399 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:33,320 Speaker 1: or another worried that this would adversely impact the California 400 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:37,680 Speaker 1: wine industry, mostly because of confusion. Uh or that's that's 401 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:41,480 Speaker 1: what they said, that they thought it would confuse people. UM. 402 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:45,760 Speaker 1: So taking this into account, the ruling was postponed and 403 00:27:45,920 --> 00:27:51,680 Speaker 1: definitely and as of the names cannot be used interchangeably 404 00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:57,240 Speaker 1: in the US. Well, if anyone has further information, please 405 00:27:57,359 --> 00:28:04,240 Speaker 1: let us have no cool it is And speaking of cool, meanwhile, 406 00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:09,560 Speaker 1: interest in the grapes history in Croatia really took off 407 00:28:09,640 --> 00:28:12,280 Speaker 1: in the ninety nineties, though plenty have been looking into 408 00:28:12,359 --> 00:28:16,400 Speaker 1: it before then. UM researchers at the University of Zagreb, 409 00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:20,680 Speaker 1: Croatia joined forces with a cohort in California to dig 410 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:24,159 Speaker 1: into the grape's potential Croatian roots. The country has a 411 00:28:24,280 --> 00:28:26,920 Speaker 1: long wine history that goes back to at least two 412 00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:30,920 Speaker 1: thousand two b c e UM. The Croatian scientist sent 413 00:28:31,040 --> 00:28:34,560 Speaker 1: sample grapes and vines to California for DNA testing, eventually 414 00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:38,480 Speaker 1: leading to the genetic analysis that confirmed ancient vines and 415 00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:43,959 Speaker 1: Croatia matched the DNA profile of California's zinfandel. Further research 416 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:46,680 Speaker 1: revealed that to grace with different names in Croatia were 417 00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:50,520 Speaker 1: also the same, so that leads that also was causing 418 00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:55,960 Speaker 1: some confusion. Um. But there's a lot written up about this, 419 00:28:56,240 --> 00:28:58,240 Speaker 1: and it's really really cool, and it kind of took 420 00:28:58,280 --> 00:29:00,720 Speaker 1: a while of sending grapes back in fourth and doing 421 00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:05,320 Speaker 1: these tests before they arrived at this conclusion. So I 422 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:09,360 Speaker 1: really enjoyed it that all all three of these of 423 00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:14,520 Speaker 1: these these Croatian, Italian, and Californian grapes are the heck 424 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:19,400 Speaker 1: in same grape. Yeah, um, but just different clonal varieties. UM. 425 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:23,320 Speaker 1: And there has been there have been other historical notes 426 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:26,640 Speaker 1: that have gotten attached to all of this. UM. For example, 427 00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:31,880 Speaker 1: one of these Croatian varieties was listed on this Austrian 428 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:35,320 Speaker 1: farming map from eighteen sixty three that was laying out 429 00:29:35,520 --> 00:29:39,200 Speaker 1: different wine grapes grown around the region um, which right 430 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:43,080 Speaker 1: strengthens the hypothesis that this grape was common there and 431 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:46,520 Speaker 1: already to be transported to the US UM by at 432 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:51,440 Speaker 1: least that time, that time or earlier. Mm hmm yeah, okay, 433 00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:55,880 Speaker 1: So well, all of this, and I'm making a big 434 00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:02,280 Speaker 1: all of what we've been talking about was going on 435 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:05,640 Speaker 1: in the US and abroad. Another major shifting her understanding 436 00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:13,120 Speaker 1: of zimfandel occurred the introduction of white zinfandel. Yes, yes, 437 00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:20,480 Speaker 1: oh oh my, okay, So all of this research was 438 00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:25,120 Speaker 1: going on around in infandel in the seventies that indirectly 439 00:30:25,320 --> 00:30:30,480 Speaker 1: catapulted the cousin of zim fandel white zimfandel to fame 440 00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:33,440 Speaker 1: in the eighties and nineties. And yes, our interviewee and 441 00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:35,680 Speaker 1: that New Orleans episode we mentioned at the top, Chris 442 00:30:35,800 --> 00:30:40,720 Speaker 1: Warner shared his opinion that Sutter Homes white Zimfandel was 443 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:43,280 Speaker 1: sort of a gateway wine for a lot of people 444 00:30:43,320 --> 00:30:47,760 Speaker 1: in the United States. It was a very funny tidbit 445 00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:53,640 Speaker 1: I liked. So. According to some sources, Sutter Homes white 446 00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:58,560 Speaker 1: Zimfandel was an accident that they created in nineteen seventy two. 447 00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:04,440 Speaker 1: The company's winemaker allegedly used runoff from their Zimfandel wines 448 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:08,600 Speaker 1: to make white Zimfandel, and for whatever reason one time 449 00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:11,920 Speaker 1: the wine didn't fully ferment and it resulted in a 450 00:31:12,040 --> 00:31:18,000 Speaker 1: low alcohol sugary wine as disgusted the dark times. In 451 00:31:18,120 --> 00:31:20,240 Speaker 1: our opinion, I guess you could fight with us about that. 452 00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:24,360 Speaker 1: Of the sugree eighties meant that the product was very 453 00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:32,520 Speaker 1: happily embraced and it's skyrocketed to popularity. However, um, the 454 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:35,520 Speaker 1: first known instance of a blush wine Zimpadel dates back 455 00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:39,000 Speaker 1: to eight sixty nine, So I guess this is probably 456 00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:43,560 Speaker 1: when it just really took hold public. Yeah, this was 457 00:31:43,640 --> 00:31:48,640 Speaker 1: the modern coming of the blush zinfandel. Yes, and it 458 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:53,640 Speaker 1: did paint the public perception of Zimpandel's as a Swedish blush, 459 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:57,720 Speaker 1: low alcohol wine kind of basic was the vibe, I god, 460 00:31:58,680 --> 00:32:00,560 Speaker 1: and so the reputation was part. And when I was 461 00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:04,080 Speaker 1: saying at the beginning that I didn't understand, I thought 462 00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:10,400 Speaker 1: it Zimfidel was this yeah for a long time. Yeah, um, 463 00:32:10,520 --> 00:32:13,280 Speaker 1: and it really gained this this perception of being um 464 00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:19,040 Speaker 1: a uh, low cost and low quality why um, And 465 00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:23,200 Speaker 1: this is why other grapes like mare Low and Cabernet 466 00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:27,360 Speaker 1: sort of took over for red wine production in California 467 00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:32,600 Speaker 1: in the nineties and early two thousand's. Yes, but there 468 00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:36,440 Speaker 1: were still people in California that were passionate about looking 469 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:40,920 Speaker 1: into zimfandel UH, and a lot of research went into 470 00:32:41,880 --> 00:32:46,920 Speaker 1: varietals in California and the nineties. You can yes, find 471 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:53,479 Speaker 1: exhaustive detail if you watch Yeah very much in brief. UM. 472 00:32:54,080 --> 00:32:57,920 Speaker 1: The nineties is when the American trade group Zinfandel Advocates 473 00:32:57,960 --> 00:33:01,200 Speaker 1: and Producers formed in two to be exact and UH. 474 00:33:01,720 --> 00:33:04,120 Speaker 1: Every year to this day, they sponsor AI's in Findel 475 00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:07,760 Speaker 1: centric wine and food festival in January called zin X, 476 00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:12,840 Speaker 1: and in they started up a project with you See 477 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:17,960 Speaker 1: Davis called the Heritage Vineyard Project UM. Its purpose being 478 00:33:18,080 --> 00:33:22,000 Speaker 1: to take cuttings from old vines in Findel around California 479 00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:26,160 Speaker 1: and select strong ones UM to propagate and make available 480 00:33:26,520 --> 00:33:30,560 Speaker 1: to growers. UM. They say it's currently like twenty years 481 00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:34,680 Speaker 1: into a hundred year effort to preserve the variety and 482 00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:39,240 Speaker 1: let it thrive and replace old vines that won't last forever. 483 00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:45,400 Speaker 1: Mm hmm. Yeah. And all of this is part of 484 00:33:45,440 --> 00:33:48,560 Speaker 1: what we've talked about before of California's in America's at 485 00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:54,000 Speaker 1: large wine industry looking for some recognition, um, looking for 486 00:33:54,120 --> 00:33:59,040 Speaker 1: some respects and financial success of course, in a world yeah, 487 00:33:59,080 --> 00:34:01,360 Speaker 1: I mean yes, in the world that for so long 488 00:34:01,440 --> 00:34:06,000 Speaker 1: has valued European wine above all, like that's that's the best, 489 00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:09,360 Speaker 1: that's what you want. And this is something that that 490 00:34:09,560 --> 00:34:12,520 Speaker 1: did see a real shift in the two thousands. It 491 00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:16,120 Speaker 1: was a real perspective shift in the two thousands of 492 00:34:16,239 --> 00:34:21,440 Speaker 1: what California wine, American wine could be in that it 493 00:34:21,480 --> 00:34:26,160 Speaker 1: could compete. Um. But it's always it's been there, people 494 00:34:26,200 --> 00:34:28,279 Speaker 1: have been working in it. People are passionate about it. 495 00:34:28,360 --> 00:34:31,800 Speaker 1: I just don't want to I can't stress enough that 496 00:34:31,960 --> 00:34:35,960 Speaker 1: people I love this and they've been looking into it, 497 00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:39,319 Speaker 1: and they've been working at it, and I don't want 498 00:34:39,360 --> 00:34:41,919 Speaker 1: to erase all of the stuff they've been doing because 499 00:34:42,080 --> 00:34:44,320 Speaker 1: right now, yeah, we're seeing a resurgence of it. But 500 00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:49,240 Speaker 1: people have been in this, oh yeah, forever, forever, since 501 00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:53,120 Speaker 1: since those first like gold Rush vines arrived in California, 502 00:34:53,360 --> 00:34:58,360 Speaker 1: people have been really deep into it. And that's beautiful. 503 00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:05,800 Speaker 1: It is. It is, and we appreciate it personally on 504 00:35:05,920 --> 00:35:09,799 Speaker 1: a podcast researcher level, but also on a wine drinker level. Yeah, 505 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:14,520 Speaker 1: oh both, yeah, sure, absolutely, so this was it was 506 00:35:14,600 --> 00:35:17,759 Speaker 1: a really delightful one to look into. Um, and there's 507 00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:21,960 Speaker 1: so many offshoots we could further research, but oh yeah, 508 00:35:22,239 --> 00:35:27,040 Speaker 1: many potential future episodes or little side quests or whatever 509 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:30,080 Speaker 1: it is that it is. Yeah, yes, yes, But in 510 00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:32,920 Speaker 1: the meantime, I think that's what we have to say 511 00:35:32,920 --> 00:35:36,800 Speaker 1: about Zinfandel for now. It is. We do have some 512 00:35:36,960 --> 00:35:39,279 Speaker 1: listener mail for you, though, but first we've got one 513 00:35:39,320 --> 00:35:50,279 Speaker 1: more quick break for a word from our sponsor. And 514 00:35:50,360 --> 00:35:53,279 Speaker 1: we're back. Thank you, sponsor, Yes, thank you. And we're 515 00:35:53,320 --> 00:36:02,680 Speaker 1: back with m sitting next to the fire. Yeah, and 516 00:36:02,800 --> 00:36:06,919 Speaker 1: it's so cold, which it is quite cold. Oh yeah, 517 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:09,600 Speaker 1: we just had the weather turn like this morning and 518 00:36:10,160 --> 00:36:13,600 Speaker 1: I'm like, oh, I should have brought my plants in. Heck, okay, 519 00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:16,640 Speaker 1: that's right. I've been meaning to ask you about your plants, 520 00:36:16,680 --> 00:36:18,080 Speaker 1: which I know it was a weird thing to say, 521 00:36:18,160 --> 00:36:23,400 Speaker 1: but I do worry the plants. Um. They're currently hanging 522 00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:27,200 Speaker 1: out at my neighbor's house, um, where I moved, so 523 00:36:27,320 --> 00:36:30,960 Speaker 1: I'm not in my permanent new house yet. I'm standing 524 00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:33,520 Speaker 1: in Airbnb for a couple of months, which is really exciting. 525 00:36:33,920 --> 00:36:35,880 Speaker 1: But I moved them to a neighbor's house before I 526 00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:37,920 Speaker 1: moved in here, and that is where they are. So 527 00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:40,720 Speaker 1: I guess I have to go make several trips across 528 00:36:40,800 --> 00:36:45,640 Speaker 1: the street after I do this recording. Yes, let us 529 00:36:45,719 --> 00:36:48,719 Speaker 1: know how they are. Tell them why oh oh I will, 530 00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:50,840 Speaker 1: I haven't. I haven't seen him in like two weeks. 531 00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:54,880 Speaker 1: I don't even know. I don't even know. Well, you've 532 00:36:54,920 --> 00:36:58,640 Speaker 1: got to keep this updated, that I really do. I 533 00:36:58,719 --> 00:37:01,680 Speaker 1: was like, I wonder how her wrong? The auto they've 534 00:37:01,680 --> 00:37:04,000 Speaker 1: been they've been watering them for us. I I thank 535 00:37:04,040 --> 00:37:06,320 Speaker 1: you so much, dear neighbors for taking care of my 536 00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:10,279 Speaker 1: plants in this trying time. It's very very kind. Thank you. 537 00:37:11,160 --> 00:37:14,640 Speaker 1: You don't know me, probably not listening, but my thoughts 538 00:37:15,320 --> 00:37:22,640 Speaker 1: are very thankful towards you as well. Heck, okay so, 539 00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:27,480 Speaker 1: and then continuing messages we've gotten about Dill, which is 540 00:37:27,560 --> 00:37:33,320 Speaker 1: so great. We have two more today, Hannah wrote, just 541 00:37:33,480 --> 00:37:35,920 Speaker 1: finished listening to the Dill episode, and since still is 542 00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:39,360 Speaker 1: arguably my number one favorite HERB, I had to write in. 543 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:43,279 Speaker 1: I really enjoyed hearing about the veried, witchy history of Dill. 544 00:37:43,680 --> 00:37:46,239 Speaker 1: It made me especially excited for the little row of 545 00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:49,000 Speaker 1: fall dill seedlings. That is popping up in one of 546 00:37:49,080 --> 00:37:52,200 Speaker 1: my garden beds, as well as the volunteer dill lets 547 00:37:52,560 --> 00:37:57,239 Speaker 1: springing up from under the springs patch. Aside from the 548 00:37:57,320 --> 00:38:02,280 Speaker 1: obvious intellectable vegetable pairings cute comber tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, beats, 549 00:38:02,840 --> 00:38:05,560 Speaker 1: dill goes great with just about any veggie in my book, 550 00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:08,759 Speaker 1: I have a couple other favorite places for that burst 551 00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:14,319 Speaker 1: of dill flavor. First, scrambled eggs. Of course I enjoy 552 00:38:14,400 --> 00:38:17,160 Speaker 1: a plain scramble or a cheesy one, or even one 553 00:38:17,200 --> 00:38:19,439 Speaker 1: with another herb or two. But if I am making 554 00:38:19,520 --> 00:38:22,040 Speaker 1: scrambled eggs and don't have a bit of fresh dill around, 555 00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:24,440 Speaker 1: I am always just a little sad that these scrambled 556 00:38:24,440 --> 00:38:26,759 Speaker 1: eggs won't be quite as good as they could have been. 557 00:38:27,600 --> 00:38:33,120 Speaker 1: And secondly, popcorn. I know it's not one I've seen 558 00:38:33,200 --> 00:38:36,200 Speaker 1: anywhere except well my house and the place I learned 559 00:38:36,239 --> 00:38:38,439 Speaker 1: it from. When I was growing up, a family friend 560 00:38:38,480 --> 00:38:41,040 Speaker 1: would often make a big batch of popcorn for parties 561 00:38:41,080 --> 00:38:43,759 Speaker 1: at her house. But instead of your classic toppings, she 562 00:38:43,880 --> 00:38:48,040 Speaker 1: made it with butter, obviously, lemon, pepper, dill, a touch 563 00:38:48,080 --> 00:38:51,160 Speaker 1: of human a little goes a long way, and parmesan. 564 00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:54,880 Speaker 1: This is now the only way I make popcorn. I 565 00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:57,920 Speaker 1: don't always include the parmesan, but the first three ingredients 566 00:38:57,960 --> 00:39:00,840 Speaker 1: are essential. Lemon pepper. I use one with salt for 567 00:39:00,960 --> 00:39:05,520 Speaker 1: salt tang, and heat dil for a touch of aromatic sweetness, 568 00:39:05,600 --> 00:39:08,600 Speaker 1: and cuman for that bit of earthy funk. It wakes 569 00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:11,440 Speaker 1: up the whole palette and I can't get enough. I 570 00:39:11,520 --> 00:39:18,239 Speaker 1: hope you will give it a try. Yes, yes, oh. 571 00:39:19,600 --> 00:39:22,279 Speaker 1: I responded to this email, and I was like, I'm 572 00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:26,719 Speaker 1: in full blown horror movie season. This sounds perfect. I 573 00:39:26,800 --> 00:39:30,600 Speaker 1: got popcorn, needs my deal in there and all that. 574 00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:33,120 Speaker 1: This sounds so good to me. That does sound so 575 00:39:33,239 --> 00:39:37,360 Speaker 1: good that I don't know. I've never thought about putting 576 00:39:37,400 --> 00:39:41,080 Speaker 1: lemon pepper on popcorn. I know, I know, I'm ashamed 577 00:39:41,120 --> 00:39:44,759 Speaker 1: of us, Lauren, right, I'm kind of like, we're from 578 00:39:44,800 --> 00:39:48,279 Speaker 1: Atlanta living. What kind of at aliens? Are we? Not? 579 00:39:48,640 --> 00:39:51,680 Speaker 1: The good kind? I guess? And I love popcorn and 580 00:39:51,800 --> 00:39:54,239 Speaker 1: I write what is going on with me? And I 581 00:39:54,320 --> 00:39:56,400 Speaker 1: put human on everything? How have I never put that 582 00:39:56,480 --> 00:40:01,520 Speaker 1: on popcorn either? Anyway? Awesome? Multiple people wrote in about 583 00:40:01,520 --> 00:40:09,000 Speaker 1: the eggs still in eggs okay, h m hmm. Bart wrote, 584 00:40:09,760 --> 00:40:12,680 Speaker 1: I now absolutely adore dill and buy fresh dill at 585 00:40:12,680 --> 00:40:15,200 Speaker 1: every opportunity, at every time of the year, and use 586 00:40:15,280 --> 00:40:18,040 Speaker 1: it in cold dishes, hot dishes, mayrinaides, you name it, 587 00:40:18,920 --> 00:40:21,400 Speaker 1: but I remember exactly when I decided I want to 588 00:40:21,600 --> 00:40:24,560 Speaker 1: try it. It's when Captain Kirk is making breakfast for 589 00:40:24,640 --> 00:40:27,759 Speaker 1: his girlfriend in Star Trek Generations and he shouts to 590 00:40:27,840 --> 00:40:31,120 Speaker 1: Captain Picard for dill while he's making the eggs. I 591 00:40:31,280 --> 00:40:33,600 Speaker 1: made my mom put dill on the shopping list there, 592 00:40:33,680 --> 00:40:36,120 Speaker 1: and then added it to my eggs the next weekend 593 00:40:36,360 --> 00:40:39,840 Speaker 1: and fell in love. I still use fresh dill in fritatos, 594 00:40:40,120 --> 00:40:42,160 Speaker 1: but in summer. My favorite used for dill is in 595 00:40:42,280 --> 00:40:46,279 Speaker 1: fennel slaw, cole slap, potato salad, or salmon salad. I 596 00:40:46,400 --> 00:40:48,879 Speaker 1: use it to marinade whitefish all year round. It gives 597 00:40:48,920 --> 00:40:51,919 Speaker 1: such a lovely freshness with some lemon, garlic and olive oil. 598 00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:55,080 Speaker 1: In winter, I love using it in roast vegetable dishes. 599 00:40:55,360 --> 00:40:58,239 Speaker 1: It goes really well with roasted cauliflower, red onions, and 600 00:40:58,560 --> 00:41:02,680 Speaker 1: bromley apples. Bromley apples I don't know anyway, uh And 601 00:41:02,920 --> 00:41:06,720 Speaker 1: similarly with a roasted fennel with shallots and those same apples. 602 00:41:07,600 --> 00:41:10,640 Speaker 1: I think my favorite dill roasted vegetable dish is roasted 603 00:41:10,719 --> 00:41:15,480 Speaker 1: baby cucumbers with shallots, white wine, vinegar, and dill. For 604 00:41:15,680 --> 00:41:18,000 Speaker 1: all the roasted vegetable dishes, the fresh dill goes in 605 00:41:18,080 --> 00:41:19,920 Speaker 1: at the very end, after the food is out of 606 00:41:19,960 --> 00:41:21,920 Speaker 1: the oven. Just fold it in and give it a 607 00:41:21,960 --> 00:41:25,480 Speaker 1: minute to wilt, and it's ready to serve. But I 608 00:41:25,560 --> 00:41:28,560 Speaker 1: think my most unusual use for dill is in sugar 609 00:41:28,640 --> 00:41:31,919 Speaker 1: free apple sauce, core and peel a nice tart cooking 610 00:41:31,960 --> 00:41:35,279 Speaker 1: apple like that, heck and whatever variety that was. Um 611 00:41:35,680 --> 00:41:38,240 Speaker 1: cut it into segments, season with salt and black pepper, 612 00:41:38,480 --> 00:41:40,600 Speaker 1: and then roast in a medium oven until it goes 613 00:41:40,680 --> 00:41:42,759 Speaker 1: to mush. Then take it out of the oven and 614 00:41:42,880 --> 00:41:45,880 Speaker 1: mix in an ungodly amount of fresh dill and serve. 615 00:41:46,400 --> 00:41:48,920 Speaker 1: The salt will enhance the natural sugars and the apples, 616 00:41:49,080 --> 00:41:51,640 Speaker 1: and the dill will make the whole thing wonderfully fresh. 617 00:41:52,280 --> 00:41:55,319 Speaker 1: Go super with some grilled chicken or turkey, some nice 618 00:41:55,400 --> 00:42:03,080 Speaker 1: Herby sausages, or some great black pudding. My mouth is watering, watering, 619 00:42:03,680 --> 00:42:07,440 Speaker 1: literally every single one of those things. Gosh, and I 620 00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:12,840 Speaker 1: my heart is very full and warm that you were like, 621 00:42:12,960 --> 00:42:15,680 Speaker 1: I got up, But dil in my eggs after watching 622 00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:19,640 Speaker 1: starting because of Captain Kirk. Thank you Captain Kirk for 623 00:42:20,360 --> 00:42:23,480 Speaker 1: introducing me to dil, which I now use in literally everything. 624 00:42:24,280 --> 00:42:29,919 Speaker 1: That's fantastic. That's so cool. I love this, it's all great. 625 00:42:30,239 --> 00:42:31,920 Speaker 1: I want to try all of these things. I'm just 626 00:42:31,960 --> 00:42:35,640 Speaker 1: gonna put dill and like everything from now on, I'm 627 00:42:35,719 --> 00:42:40,160 Speaker 1: getting huh, I'll try it. Why not? Why not? Your 628 00:42:40,239 --> 00:42:46,240 Speaker 1: listeners continue to inspire is. Thank you so much for writing. 629 00:42:46,640 --> 00:42:48,480 Speaker 1: If you would like to write to us, you can 630 00:42:48,760 --> 00:42:52,239 Speaker 1: our emails hello at saber pod dot com. We're also 631 00:42:52,280 --> 00:42:55,000 Speaker 1: on social media. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, 632 00:42:55,040 --> 00:42:57,440 Speaker 1: and Instagram at saber pod and we do hope to 633 00:42:57,520 --> 00:42:59,919 Speaker 1: hear from you. Sabor is production of My Heart Radio. 634 00:43:00,160 --> 00:43:02,200 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, you can visit 635 00:43:02,239 --> 00:43:04,719 Speaker 1: the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 636 00:43:04,800 --> 00:43:07,279 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows. Thanks as always to our 637 00:43:07,320 --> 00:43:10,760 Speaker 1: superproducers Dylan Fagan and Andrew Howard. Thanks to you for listening, 638 00:43:10,880 --> 00:43:12,640 Speaker 1: and we hope that lots more good things are coming 639 00:43:12,680 --> 00:43:13,040 Speaker 1: your way